2008-2009 Volvo C30 T5

Pros :
- Stylish exterior details.
- Fairly good handling.
- Premium cabin materials, for the most part.
- Torquey turbo engine.
- Fair bit of custom options available.

Cons :
- Firm ride quality.
- Front end styling already seen on other Volvos.
- Limited luggage room.
- Competitors have better rear legroom.
- Gets pricey with options.

Interior :

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Press Coverage :
The new Volvo C30 is the smallest and most expressive car in Volvo's model range. With a compact and solid body, sporty chassis, and powerful engines, it offers a very dynamic driving experience. The interior, which is functionally designed with a number of smart refinements, offers an unexpectedly high level of comfort and flexibility, not least in the rear seat.
Thanks to its small size and well thought out design, the Volvo C30 is very nimble to handle, even in limited space. Otherwise, it is built according to the same principles as the other Volvo cars. A compact and solid body, a generous track width, and a relatively long wheelbase contribute to giving it inspiring and stable driving characteristics. The chassis, with MacPherson front wheel suspension and a Multilink rear axle, is optimized to enhance fun to drive. High level of body control and precise response are key properties.
DSTC, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, is standard in most markets. Steering is electro-hydraulic, with a distinct and controlled steering feel.
The range of options for the Volvo C30 includes a number of alloy wheels in sizes from 17 to 18 inches.
All engines have four-valve technology and double overhead camshafts, which contribute to the quick response and good high-speed characteristics. The powerful petrol engine is turbo charged, and has very high and even torque from low to high engine speeds. This makes the Volvo C30 very responsive, with willing acceleration.
Despite its compact format, the Volvo C30 is capable of offering very comfortable and flexible interior space with a surprising big-car feel. The car offers place for four adults. The front seats are ergonomically designed and offer a correct and relaxing seating position. It is easy to move the seat forward and rearward, for convenient access to the rear seat. The tapered design of the B-pillar also contributes to the easy entrance.
The rear seat has two separate seats and a foldable armrest is available for enhanced comfort. The seats are positioned somewhat towards the centre of the car to provide space and a good forward view. This also provides space for storage in the side panels. Furthermore the centred position of the rear seats facilitates communication with the front seat occupants.
The rear seat backrests are individually foldable. Folding can be easily done when standing behind the car as well as from the passenger compartment.
The glass tailgate is very convenient and easy to open and close. It offers good access to the cargo compartment. To keep items in the cargo compartment from view, two load covers are available: a soft and a hard version.
Air conditioning and air quality system for a pleasant cabin climate To provide a pleasant cabin climate, air conditioning and a pollen filter are standard in the Volvo C30. Alternatively the car can be specified with ECC (Electronic Climate Control), which is completely automatically controlled and the chosen cabin temperature is kept constant regardless of the outside temperature. Furthermore, it is possible to set the temperature individually for the right and left sides.
The ECC system can be supplemented by IAQS (Interior Air Quality System), which continuously monitors the carbon monoxide level of the incoming air and closes the air vents when the level is too high, for the in-cabin climate comfort and health of the occupants of the car. The system also includes an active charcoal filter to prevent dust, exhaust particles, pollen and unpleasant odours from entering the cabin through the ventilation system at any time.
There are various audio system levels to choose from. On the two highest levels, High Performance and Premium Sound, it is possible to play CDs with music in MP3 and WMA formats. This means that the CD changer can store hundreds of music tracks. In addition, the High Performance and Premium Sound systems are fitted with an extra AUX connector for connecting auxiliary equipment such as a portable MP3 player.
An adapter for connecting an iPod or a USB flash drive will also be available as an accessory. With the Volvo USB/iPod Music Player, it is easy to connect ones own music player and to control it with the car's controls, which contributes to increased safety and convenience. Information is shown in the audio system's display.
The Volvo C30's special design, with the side windows at the right height, creates a panoramic view from all seats. The inwardly curving rear side windows and the unique glass tailgate provide a very good rear view, not least at an angle rearward. The tapered B-pillars also contribute, which offer a clear view between the side of the body and the head restraint. This also gives the rear seat passengers a good view through the front side windows.
To make it easier for the driver to detect other vehicles in the blind spot at the side of the car, the Volvo C30 can be fitted with BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). This system, which is an option, uses cameras mounted in the side door mirrors to register if another vehicle is in the blind spot. If this is the case, a lamp near the mirror illuminates to alert the driver in order to increase the possibility that correct decisions are taken.
To help reduce the risk of the driver being distracted by untimely information in critical situations, IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System) is standard on the Volvo C30. IDIS is an electronic information system that continuously monitors certain functions in the car such as steering wheel movements, accelerator pedal movement, the direction indicator controls, and braking. This information is processed and at a certain level, information that is not crucial to safety, such as text messages or incoming calls to the integrated telephone, is delayed until the situation is less busy for the driver.
If the driver prefers, IDIS can be set up to let GSM calls through in all driving situations. This is done in the car's menu settings.
Volvo Cars

Inside the C30 you’ll find four individual seats and a welcome aura of airiness. The deep rear window and the gap between the rear seats makes for easy reverse parking, and rear passengers like the good view forward that comes from setting the rear seats closer together than the front ones. It’s a pity about the hard plastics that trim the adjacent window sills, though, especially given the plush, padded nature of the cabin’s front half.
You wouldn’t expect a Volvo to handle with the focus of a sportily optimised Focus, and it doesn’t. The steering is lighter, softer, more rubbery, but the responses are still progressive and consistent, the balance pleasing. Go into a bend hard and the nose tracks accurately, resisting understeer and allowing adjustments even when well loaded up. The tail is mobile enough when you ease the power to let you feel some interaction, and were it not for the softening effect of the automatic transmission it would no doubt feel sharper.
What is missing is the slightly artificial, nose-heavy feel of the fastest Focus, which is a welcome surprise. The C30 comes across as a more complete car dynamically, helped by a firm but tidily controlled ride and a terrific driving position, but we need to try it again with a manual gearbox to decide if the C30 T5 could be truly special.
Evo UK

That stylish rump tapers in a good deal, the shoulder line of the C30 increasingly bold as it reaches the rear. The result is a rear cabin area that’s narrow, necessitating the fitting of two individual rear seats rather than a more traditional bench.
That’s fine as, after all, the C30 isn’t aimed at the sort of buyer who’ll be carrying children in the back. Even so, the seats are usefully sized, with proper legroom for adults, but the boot isn’t exactly huge and that glass hatchback doesn’t create the largest opening, either. But practicality isn’t likely to be among the concerns for the C30’s target audience. Even so, its luggage and passenger area is arguably more useful than BMW’s 1-Series. Where it doesn’t match the BMW, or the Audi, is in its driver appeal.
Choose the manual transmission though with the 2.5-litre T5 petrol and it transforms the C30. It’s a six-speed ‘box, that’s very light and gives a precise shift.
It allows the T5 C30 to sprint to 60mph in 6.2 seconds, the automatic adding 0.4 seconds to that time but it feeling far more than that on the road. With the manual the C30 feels far more responsive, allowing you to better enjoy its performance. It’s never going to excite in a similar way to something like Ford’s Focus ST, to which it’s loosely related to under the skin, the Volvo feels more mature than its Ford relative. The steering is light though lacking in decisive feel leaving you guessing as to what the front wheels are doing.
But it’s the ride that’s perhaps the most disappointing. The C30’s damping struggles to cope very well with ridges and bumps on the road surface. Expansion joints and seams cause it to jolt and skip. The standard lower specification cars than two aggressively set up, 19-inch wheel equipped range-toppers should ride better.
MSN Autos UK

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History:
1971-1973 Volvo P1800ES
1,985 cc / 130 hp / 130 lb-ft / 2600 lbs / 0-60 mph 10.8 sec.